Cycles
by i need sleep
Summary: I sat as he pulled my chair back for me and I found myself sitting in awkward silence. After all, what do you say to a lonely stranger who, basically, kidnapped you? ZeLink, Oneshot.


**Cycles  
****A ZeLink fanfiction  
by **i need sleep

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Here I am, venturing into the world of LoZ while I still have stories to finish over at the Pokemon fandom. But this is a one shot so I guess that's fine. 4, 132 words, the most I've written so far. I'm going to revise this tomorrow, before the courage to post it runs away.

**Disclaimer: **The forever epic Shigeru Miyamoto owns the characters to _The Legend of Zelda._ I'm merely playing with them.

* * *

I work at a restaurant in the centre of Castle Town in Hyrule.

My days at work were insignificant and boring. Nothing of interest ever happens, and everyday was like a dull routine. Come to work, serve people, have a break if you work more than five hours, and go home when done. The routine was monotonous; the people at work snobs, the managers mean and snappy, the customers impatient.

I hated my job, but I needed the money. Well, I didn't need it yet, but I want to save up as much as I can for my holiday.

I went to work thinking nothing would be different. I thought of the day as another boring day and another lonely afternoon as I watched couples canoodling in their seats, feeding each other like parents would their children. I sighed. My uniform was clinging to me, my sweat like adhesive. I would give anything for a cold shower and a fresh set of clothes right now.

Glancing at the clock, I realize I only have a less than half an hour of work left. With newfound vigour (and after a manager's loud yell), I grabbed my notepad and rushed to the table where a lone figure sat.

"Hi, welcome to The Core of Castle Town. My name is Zelda and I'll be your waitress for tonight." I secretly hoped he won't take longer than half an hour, but somehow, I doubted it. Oh, well.

The lone figure looked up to me with a grim expression and sad eyes. He flicked through his menu so blankly, I couldn't help but ask, "Are you alright, sir?"

He shook his head and afterwards, said head hit the table. I gasped and looked around, ready to yell for help if the guy had, indeed, fainted.

My suspicions were disregarded when I heard a gravelly voice say, "No, I'm not."

I awkwardly patted his back in comfort.

He sat upright and suddenly asked, "What time do you clock off…?"

"Zelda," I provided. Damn this job, requiring me to give people my name so they can call for me when they need me.

"Zelda?" He asked.

Happily, I reply, "You're my last customer for the night! I clock off after I get your meal done."

He nodded slowly. "Alright," he stopped. "So, in theory, if I were to get out now, you'd have to clock off?"

I agreed. "Yes, that is the case."

Wordlessly, he got up and went outside, and I stood there, looking bewildered. Immediately I glanced at the watch – that encounter ate up most of the time I had left to work. Running to the back to tell my manager I'm going off, I clocked out and got changed, using my uniform as a makeshift towel. Thank god I don't have work tomorrow.

I walked out the door and screeched when I felt a hand latch itself onto my arm. I turned, ready to slap the person who was holding me, only to find the sullen man I had "served" a few minutes ago. "Technically," he said, "you're clocked off, yes?"

I nodded silently, scared out of my own wits. Goddesses, when I asked for something interesting, I meant something that wasn't meant to scare me!

"So you can come eat with me, inside?"

What?

"What?" I voiced out, perplexed. I was caught off guard. I didn't realize I had relaxed from my stance until I felt myself get dragged back into the bright restaurant.

One of my co-workers, Ruto came up to us. "Hello," she said, eyeing the man I was with with utmost interest. "A table for…" she looked over to me and I saw the shock in her face. My own face burned as she glanced back to him with an all-too-fake grin. "Two?"

He just nodded. "Yes, I had a reservation. 9 o'clock, for Link Forrest?"

Link? What a strange name.

"Ooh!" She jumped slightly and ran to the back of the podium. Flicking through her book at a mad dash, she traced her finger down the page and clapped her hands. "Yes! Mr Forrest, please, come with me."

She lead us down to the more… refined area. The 'reservations only' area. I followed blindly, confused as a bat. If he had a reservation here, why did he sit out there?

I gulped as a strange thought invaded my head. Was he stalking me?

I glanced over at the man and took his features in. Now that I notice it, he was pretty tall standing up. His blond hair was very tousled and he had very blue eyes. He doesn't look like a stalker, and I'm not really that interesting, but who am I to judge?

I sat as he pulled my chair back for me, then he walked over and sat across from me. Ruto left with a bow and a "Your waiter or waitress won't be long," and I found myself sitting in awkward silence. After all, what do you say to a lonely stranger who, basically, just kidnapped you?

He cleared his throat as Darunia, one of the friendlier staff, dropped off two glasses and a glass bottle full of water. "Sorry about that," he said, as he looked away. "I shouldn't have done that, but… you looked so tired and bored out of your wits that I thought a free dinner would be good for you."

I stared at him incredulously, mute due to shock. He was the one who looked absolutely miserable, not me!

"I'm not going to drug you or anything, if you're worried about that!" He cleared up, gesturing frantically by waving his hands in front of him. "I just thought I shouldn't let this reservation go to waste, seeing as my original company decided to…"

He drifted off and let the sentence hang in the tense air between us. I fiddled with my napkin and immensely grateful for the arrival of our servant for the night.

"Hello, my name is Malon. Welcome to Core of Castle Town, I'll be your waitress for tonight." She held her notepad up and said, "What would you like?"

He looked towards me and said, "I'll explain while we're eating." To Malon, he said, "I would like a…"

I looked at my menu and looked for my dinner.

Xoxox

We shooed Malon off and she winked at me as she left, her back turned to Link. She was usually a silent girl. She's new and had only been working for two weeks at most. I made a mental note to talk to her when she and I have work next.

"So… Zelda, wasn't it?"

I took a sip of my water. "Yes," I replied.

"Crash course, sorry. Link," he reached for my hand and quickly shook it. "Twenty five, I work as a writer for Time Magazine. Sorry about the sudden… treat, Zelda," he looked so apologetic it was adorable. _No, Zelda!_ I thought, as I stared at his cute face. _You still don't know his true intentions!_

_Shush, sensible Zelda, _another side of me argued. I ignored them and paid attention to the man before me, who was busy staring at his glass. Putting the object down, he wrung his fingers together.

"Zelda. Okay. I'm going to tell you why I dragged you back," he glanced at me and smiled slightly, as if he remembered an inside joke that he just couldn't share. "And who you need to thank for the free dinner."

What? Someone else is paying?

I asked him this and he shook his head. "No," he raised his hand, shushing me. "I'm paying."

I was confused, even more so now than I was before. "Okay…?"

"I had made a reservation today, to ask my girlfriend of three years to marry me. Here, in The Core, where we met four years ago, at the same table."

I leaned back, disbelieving. Why is he here with me then?

He seemed to have read my mind, because before I even thought of asking he said, "Today, I found out she had been cheating on me for a year out of the three we were together." A chuckle. "She's good," he said, as he drew shapes on the table with his finger. "I didn't even suspect a thing."

"Maybe you're so in love with her you just ignored the signs?" I offered, before taking a sip. Though I've only known him for a few minutes, Link seems to be an alright guy who doesn't normally seem to be depressed.

He sighed. "Maybe."

I took another sip of my drink. I was so nervous, I tried to calm myself by taking short, dainty sips of the refreshing water. "Go on, sorry for interrupting."

He shook his head, "No, no, it's fine," he breathed in and continued on with his story telling. "Her name is Saria. Saria Greene." He smiled at a distant memory. "We met four years ago, like I said, at this same restaurant. It was a mutual friend's party and we were both invited to dinner.

"I saw her and talked to her because her then green hair intrigued me. We exchanged numbers, you know, like a normal pair interested in getting to know each other better… then we got talking.

"We talked about everything and got to know each other for a year. Then, I asked her out."

I nodded, now absorbed. I didn't have that many close friends, because I was all work and no play, even at school back then. I know girls normally talk about things like this, but the girls I hang with never talk to me about matters of the same importance.

"We dated for three years," he said dreamily, "three years of pure bliss for me."

He looked down and paused. I found myself leaning forward, straining my ears to hear more. He was about to speak when Malon came with our meals.

As soon as she left, he carried on.

"Sorry, Zelda," he apologized yet again as he poked a pasta. "I must be boring you and you must think me crazy, but I think telling a stranger would help break it to me before telling my family."

I swallowed my soup. "Sure, it's fine." It made sense, after all. "I understand."

He smiled gratefully, azure eyes sparkling in the light.

"Plus, I get a free dinner," I joked, hoping to lift the tension. It worked, and he chuckled, a nice, pleasing sound. Nice to know he's not fully depressed. Maybe the news hasn't hit him yet.

"Somehow though," he started again, as he took a bite off his lasagne, "I feel like I've known it all along." He nodded. "It's better I found out now than later, right?"

"I heard divorce can get really messy."

He agreed, "Especially with children involved."

I hummed. We fell into silence again, this time, it was more bearable.

"She was… how do I say this?" I watched as he struggled with finding a word in his brain's dictionary, "Ah, juggling, that'll do," he nodded, contented with the word, "She was juggling Mido Sheares and I."

"How did you…" I inhaled, "how did you find out?"

"He told me," he said simply, as if I just asked him what was 1 and 1 together. "I called her phone and he answered, telling me she was asleep.

"He asked me who I was. I told him I'm—sorry, was—Saria's boyfriend, and he laughed at me and said, 'look, whoever you are, that's my title. And leave Saria alone.' Then he slammed the phone on me.

"I couldn't believe it," Link stared into the distance, "I was skeptical, of course. I didn't think Saria would ever cheat on me.

"So I called her again, just before I went here. I confronted her and she gave in and just broke it off with me."

"On the phone?"

He nodded, "yeah."

Wow.

"That's terrible!" I said, not really knowing what to say. Indeed, it was terrible. Did she even have a reason to do that? She played on two men!

"Please, don't think of Saria as some sort of a whore. If you had met her at a different circumstance, rest assured, you would've liked her."

I nodded, trusting his judgment. I still felt annoyed. Link seems like a good guy.

We continued to talk about his most recent ex-girlfriend, and soon, we found ourselves full and done eating. Time had unweaved quickly, like yarn in a cat's hands. He paid for our meal (I offered and badgered him about it, yet he refused and still insisted on paying it himself.) and walked me out the restaurant.

"Would you like a lift home?"

I shook my head no. "I brought my car."

He nodded. "Alright." He stretched out his hand and I shook it. "Goodbye, Zelda. It was nice meeting you."

"Thank you for the dinner."

"Thank you for listening to the strange man who dragged you to dinner."

We parted ways.

Xoxoxox

I saw him again, months after that day.

He looked livelier. I suppose he had achieved closure with Saria.

Malon tapped me when she noticed I was staring. "Go on," she said, as she pretended to fix the loose leaves in her notepad. "Serve them."

"But Malon—"

"Zellie, no buts!" She said, and I sighed, secretly thankful. I ran up to their table with my notepad and additional menus, handed them to people who didn't have any and said, "Good afternoon, welcome to the Core of Castle Town."

"Zelda!" Link greeted happily, and I found myself smiling at him. He looked much better now than he did that night all those months ago.

"Mr Forrest, how are you?"

A fair haired man elbowed him and he blushed. "I'm better now, thank you."

I chuckled. "Like he had said, I'm Zelda and I will be your waitress for today."

"Okay!" one of the louder folks in the table had said, staring at a particular word on his menu.

I soon found myself needing a new notepad.

Xoxoxoxo

He stayed back a bit while his co-workers got ready to left. "Zelda," he said, stacking up the plates to help me. "Umm.. I was wondering when you clock off..?"

I grinned inwardly. Maybe he needed some advice from an acquaintance he doesn't know that much. So it's not too biased.

"Five," I said simply. "Been here since 11."

He nodded. "Great, I clock off at 4." He looked towards the door where his friends called. "Well, I'll see you at 5, Zelda!"

Malon, who was at the table not too far away, heard the conversation. As I dropped off my plates and she grabbed hers, she said, "Oooh, someone's got a date tonight!"

I playfully slapped her arm as she walked out the door.

The day went by quicker. I found myself in Link's company again at around 5, and we sat, at the same table, talking about random things. About work and goals. Funny, we talked like we've known each other for sometime, when the case was that we knew only of each other's existence. All I knew about him, before 5 today, was that he had a girlfriend of three years called Saria Greene who cheated on him with a certain Mido Sheares. All he knew about me was that my first name is Zelda and I work as a waitress over at the Core of Castle Town.

Today I learned so much more about Link and I found myself enjoying his company, now that I got to talk to him at a more relaxed… I don't know, atmosphere, I suppose. He told me he's steering clear off girls, and I told him I haven't found anyone yet.

We stayed on that topic for a measly two minutes before changing it to pets.

He told me the reason he asked me to an impromptu dinner was that he just wanted someone to talk to, and he saw me again. I smiled and felt very flattered. Someone of the male species actually liked my company!

Link, as I discovered, was actually playful when not under the influence of heartbreak. The change was astounding really, and I was amazed. As ridiculously cheesy this sounds, he was much like a diamond. He seems to have so many facets, and I found myself wanting to see them all.

I ignored the thought, my face burning. Why, Zelda; what are you suggesting?

He paid for dinner, yet again. I sat there for a few more minutes, arguing with him about the bill. I told him I would continue to sit there until he allows me to pay him back for my meal. In the end, we both agreed to grab ice cream from a nearby shop, and I had offered to treat him and he accepted, just to get me off the chair and out the restaurant.

Today I discovered his favourite flavor was rum and raisin. Strange.

xoxoxo

I saw him again after a few months. His hair has grown and he seems leaner.

He had also been promoted.

He cornered me, yet again, and treated me to another wonderfully expensive dinner. Again, I paid him back in the form of ice cream.

"Zelda?"

I looked at him, keeping the ice cream away from my body so it won't drip all over me. "Hmm?"

"It's almost been a year."

I agreed. It has. "Is it getting better?"

"The heartbreak?" He asked, and I nodded. "Yeah, I guess. It's getting duller. I've seen them together and she seems happy with him. I admit, I'm hurt and bitter, but if it's what she wants, who am I to force her?"

_Link Forrest just gained 1000 respect points._

He took a pen out of his pocket and stuck his hand in front of me, dangerously close to my ice cream and face. "Number please."

I wrote it on his palm and we carried on talking like old friends.

I only realized, that night, while talking to Malon, the he just asked for my number.

Xoxox

I was acting like a schoolgirl with a crush.

I had reason to.

Link and I had been talking to each other on the phone at least once a week. We talk about random things, really. Work and pets and pet peeves.

But I have a more valid reason as to why I'm acting like a schoolgirl with a crush.

He called me, two days before the 27th, and asked if I had work at the 29th. I said, yes. I rarely _don't_ have work. At least he's not going to corner me anymore. He told me that he needed to talk to me.

I was worried, and my day went by agonizingly slowly. I was ready to rip my carefully made blonde hair out of my scalp, but Malon snapped me out of it and told me I wouldn't want an undercut a few hours before our date.

So I settled with tapping my feet.

The time came and I clocked off as soon as I can, like a drugged Keese. I got changed and cleaned up as much as I can in the tiny bathroom stall before going out and meeting Link, who sat in our "usual" table.

The dinner seemed fine. He seemed alright, if not nervous.

He dropped the bomb while we were eating ice cream, as was our tradition after dinner.

"Zelda," he called, in the weird way he calls out to me when he needed something. I was all ears, and I ignored my ice cream as I looked towards him. "I've known you for exactly one year now."

"Yes, Link, you have."

"Will you, by any chance, ever consider going out with me?"

I spat my ice cream and moaned at the pain. My poor teeth; I'd have to worry about them later. "What?"

He looked like I had just kicked his puppy. "Sorry," he said, "I guess you want to stay as friends…"

I sighed inwardly. That's the thing with Link – he assumes a lot.

"Yes."

It was his turn to be bewildered. "Sorry, what?"

"I said, yes, I'd consider it."

He nodded, taking a careful lick of his ice cream – rum and raisin. "So, Zelda."

"Yes, Link?"

"Will you go out with me?"

I answered him with a kiss.

Xoxoxox

Three blissful years have passed. I still work at the restaurant, though with less hours. I live with Link, and Malon visits often, with Link's friend, Dark. We introduced them to each other, both agreeing that our closest friends needed someone to be with.

My parents (both of which live in Lake Hylia) have met him and both adore him. Especially my father, after he had "proved his worth". My brother, Sheik, loved him as well and found him "cool and awesome."

I've also met his family. His grandmother was a sweet lady, and so was his grandfather. I had met the infamous Aryll Forrest, a sweet girl of 18, who, I found myself very fond of.

She also seemed to love me.

We go out on "dates", most of them at the Core. Dinner then ice cream, come rain or shine, sun or snow. We go to the Core for anniversaries and birthdays.

He came into my room on the 29th, looking absolutely frazzled. He wore a shirt that seems familiar, but a little smaller…

He went through my drawer and threw random clothes at me. He immediately told me to put them on and ran out. So I panicked and followed, feeling uncomfortable. The shirt seems a bit short.

He basically pushed me into the car and I found myself worried. Did something happen? I tried to talk to him as he drove, but he didn't answer me, and I, myself, felt frazzled.

We stopped at The Core and he basically ran out, and I did too. He took my arm gently and dragged me in. I found Ruto at the podium, a weird glint in her eyes.

"A table for two?"

Link nodded. "Yes, I had a reservation. 9 o'clock, for Link Forrest?"

She checked book and nodded. "Yes! Mr Forrest, please, come with me." What the hell is happening?

She lead us to our usual table. There shouldn't really be a need to, everyone knows when Link and Zelda are here, this is our spot. We were like the big kids in a playground full of little children.

"Zelda?"

I turned to him as Malon handed me a glass, looking like the cat who swallowed the canary. What is happening? Why is this oddly familiar?

"Zelda, love, talk to me?"

"Link?" I looked around. "This scene feels familiar."

He grinned, much like Malon. "It's because it is."

I was absolutely perplexed.

Malon walked in with plates. I was confused more than ever. I didn't order anything yet! I was about to say something when I saw what was served to me.

_Hey, this is…_

My boyfriend started off the conversation while I sat there chewing things in, trying to figure out why everyone was acting strangely around me. Even the managers I saw were smiling suspiciously.

Link started talking about the time we met, so I humour him and join along, still piecing things up. It was nice to reminisce things like that.

Suddenly, he stopped talking and got up. Reaching into his pocket, he stared into my eyes. "Zelda Harknian," he started, voice shaky. I haven't seen Link this nervous before. "I knew you were special the first time I met you. The first time you touched me, although it was an awkward tap at the back, I felt something…" He ran his hand through his hair and chuckled, as the audience, the other patrons in the restaurant watched us like we were the newest Harry Potter movie. "Ahhh, well…" he looked apologetically at me. "You see, I have a whole speech prepared and…"

"Link," I interrupt, and looking back now, I wonder why I was so… _dim._ "What are you talking about?"

The ladies around us, I noted, were smiling amusedly at me. I felt like a new baby with everyone staring at me, and all I can do is stare back and maybe cry.

"What I'm saying is… Well… Zelda, you…"

"Yes?"

"Ah, screw it," he said, and he kneeled. "Zelda Harknian, will you, by any chance, ever consider spending forever with me?"

Then it hit me harder than a fastball to the face.

The shirt he was wearing. It's smaller because it's four years old and has shrunk a lot.

My outfit. The same one I was wearing _that_ day.

Ruto meeting us. Malon serving us. The food…

The line.

I started to cry as realization dawned upon me. "Yes!" I screamed, standing up, startling the kneeling 29 year old. "If this is your warped way of asking me to marry you, then yes, Link!"

He laughed and looked to the patrons as I hugged him, crying. "I didn't even show her the ring yet!"

Malon was clapping and the patrons, most of whom were laughing, followed suit. He chuckled and laughed as I let go of him, wiping my tears with his large calloused hands. "I love you, Zellie."

"I love you too, Link."

He slipped the ring onto my finger and I smiled. "It reminded me of you," he smiled as he held me while we held our cones away from our bodies. "I do think it's your eyes are more gorgeous and the stone didn't do it justice."

"As cruel as this sounds, I think I know who to thank."

He laughed. "Zelda, no!"

The day ended with a kiss.

…well, more than that, but I'm sure you don't really wish to know what we actually got up to.

_The End.

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_

**_A/N_: **I think that method of proposing is quite sweet. Backtracking, or a wild goose chase. Anyway! I'm sure this sounds unbelievable, but hey, so are most things in rom-coms. ;D

Have a nice day!


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